Circuit-closing device.



A. D. RIZER. CIRCUIT CLOSING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.4,1I910.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. D. RIZBR. CIRCUIT CLOSING DEVICE APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1910. I 1,034,510. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vUNITED STATES PATENT cantos.

ARTI-HIE D. RIZER, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T NATIONAL ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING CO., OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CIRCUIT-CLOSING DEVICE.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912A lApplication led August 4, 1910. Serial No. 575,424.

Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmlnoveinentsin Circuit-Closing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to circuit closing devices and refers more particularly to con `tact devices adapted to automatically close a signaling circuit as a trolley car is passing by a certain point.

Among the salient objects of the invention l5 are to provide a construction of the above character in which the c ontactdevices are controlled by the passing trolley wheel in such a way as to insure the closing of the signaling circuit for a sutticient length of time to obtain reliability in the operation of the signal; to provide a. construction in which the contact devices 'are normally held open against the action of' a spring by means 'of a weighted bar clamped to the trolley wire, the bar being raised by a passing trolley wheel; to provide a construction in which that portion of the trolley wire to which the bar is connected is itself secured to a rigid supporting member to prevent the trolley wire as a whole becoming;` tightened` from weather conditions and thus accidentally raise the bar and close the signalingl circuit.; to provide a device characterized by simplicity and economy of construction and freedom and reliability of movement and which is `adapted to be mounted above a trolley wireby means of the usual supports; to provide a construction in which the contact devices may be suitably inclosed in a housing to protect them from weather conditions and in general to provide an improved construction of the cha 'acter rctcrrcd to.

The invention consists in the matters hcl-ef inat'tcr describcdmand more particularly pointed out in theappeiuled claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 `is a fragmentary side elevation of my invention mounted upon thc trollcywvire. Fig. 2 is a vfragmentary top planview ot' lthe same. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the eircuit'closer. Fig. -l Ais a horizontal sei-.tional view of the same. Fig'. 5 is a top plan view of a somewhat modified construc- 5 tion. Fig. (S is a fragmentary vertical scctional view of an enlarged section of the construction shown in Fig. 5.'

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole a trolley wire above which is mounted to extend horizontally a frame support 2 of channelor trough shape form, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, and secured to the trolley wire by means of suitable clamps 3. This frame is also supported from the usual pole 3 mounted adjacent. to the track by means of a cross arm 4 carried by the pole 'and end cables 5, 5 and the central cable 6.

One end of each cable is suitably secured to the frame support as shown at 4. The poles 3 are mounted close to the track.I as is usually the case in trolley systemsalthough the particular manner of supporting the frame is not material in the broader aspects of the invention. In each cableris inserted an insulating piece 8 in the usual manner.

The foregoing arrangement is such that the channeled supporting member 2 i s rigidly secured to the trolley wire oneither side of the contact devices in such a way as to prevent the wire from being tightened during cold or hot weather. Ditiiculty has heretofore been experienced in-j devices of this general character because of this tight.-

eninel of the trolley wire with the result. that the signaling circuity is accidentally closed. The present construction obviates this ditiiculty. i

Upon the cent alportion of the trame member' 2. is mounted a circuit closer designatcd as a whole 9. Describingg this instrunient, upon the upper face of the frame 2 is mounted a pair of spaced apart ears 10 apertured to receive a journal pin 11 which, in the present instance, takes the form of a headed boltsecured to the ears by means of a nut 12 and washer 13. Upon this pin is pivotally mounted a pair lof opposed contact A arms lil, 14 curved as shown and provided with contact devices l5, 16, one of which is torkcd as shown at These devices are adapted to contact with each other when the arms are swung inwardly into closed posi tion. '.lhe contact. lt ot' thearm I4' is-insulated from the trolley. wire and main body ot' the circuit closer by means of an insulatl ing block 17. To this contact 16 is connected the wire 1H leadingto any suitable signaling circuit notshown.' Ity will be understood. of course, that the circuit eX- tcnds through the trolley wire and Contact arms when closed to the wire 18 and signaling circuit to ground. These arms 14, 14 are normally held in open position by means of a bar 19 connected to the arms by means lot chains 20. The bar 19 is in turn rigidly connected to the trolley wire by means of a clamp 21. In order to protect the circuit closer from the weather I provide, a box like ,cover member 22 riveted as shown at 23 to the frame member 2 and apertured as shown at 24 to permit of the chains 2O being attached to the arms 14, 14. The central portions of tlie arms are connected by means of a coiled contractile spring 25 which tends to normally force the contact members into closed position. The tension of this spring, however, is not sufliciently strong to lift up the trolley wire and bar 19.

In Figs. 5 and C I have shown a somewhat. modified construction which is more 'particularly adapted for use with trolleys in which the track is located in the center of Icured to the posts 2G at opposite sides of the street.` Thev cross supports l are insulated as usual as shown at 26. Midway between the posts 2G and above the trolley wire lis supported a plate like frame member 2' to each corner of which isv onnected a supporting cable 27 as shown a 2S. The other end of each of these cables leads diagonally to one of the posts 26 and is lixed thereto. Each cable is also` insulated as shown at 29. Upon t-he plate 2 is mounted a circuit closer 9 v,which is exactly similar to lthe circuit closer hereinbefore described. The arms 14: as before are connected by the chains 20 to the bar 19 carried by the clamp 21 mounted on the trolley wire 1.` In order that the chains 2O may be attached to the arms 14:, 14 the frame plate 2 is apertured as shown at 80.

The yoperation of the device may be briefly described as follows: Normally the sa of the trolleywire and the weight 19 wi 1 hold the contact arms in open posit-ion against the action of the s ring 25. When,

however, the trolley whee approaches the shoe 21 it will raise the wire and bar 19 whereupon the arms 14, 14: will be released and' at once be automatically closed by' means of the s ring 25'. Inasmuch as the trolley wheel will raise the wire for an appreciable length of time asV it passes by the shoe 21,'the contact deviceswill be closed for a suiciently lon time to insure of the closing of the si a ing circuit and operation v`4of the signa As soon as the trolley wheel has passed away from4 the portion of the trolle wire ad'acentl the. shoe 21, the latter wil drop'bac to its normal position to gravity and the Contact devices will be pulled into open position. The constructionis comparatively simple and inexpensive and in addition has the advantageiof absolute reliability of operation as lon'g'as the Y parts do not break. The danger of breakage is reduced to a minimum as there is no deli rigidly connected to the lframe member, contact devices, means for automatically closing said devices, a controlling member for normally holding said devices in open position, said controlling member being connected to the trolley wire' at a point intermediate the clamps of the frame member whereby the vcontrolling member is raised to release tlie -contact devices when the wire is raised by a passing trolley wheel.

2. In a circuit controlling device, theeombination with a trolley wire, of a bar-like frame member extending above the same and rigidly secured adjacent its -ends to the' trolley wire, a pair of opposed contact arms pivotally mounted above the trolley wire,` contact devices carried by said arms, one of said devices being normally insulated from the trolley wire, a spring for automatically` closing the contact devices, and means for4 norma ly holding said contact devices in open position comprising a bar suspended from said contact arms and connected to and depressing the trolley wire at a point intermediate t-he connections of the frame member with the trolley Wire.

3. In a circuit controlling device, the comi bination with a trolley wire, of a bar-like frame member suspended above the trolley frame member and rigidly connected to the trolley wii'e whereby a relatively short section of said trolleywire is rigidly connectedto the frame member, contact devices mounted above the frame member, means 'for automatically closing said contact devices .ind means connected to j the trolley wire at 'a point between said clamps for holding said' wire, clamps adjacent either end 4of the- 

